The Reports of C.S. Lewis College’s Death Were Greatly Exaggerated

In 1897, The New York Herald released a statement that Mark Twain, then 51, was “grievously ill and possibly dying. Worse still, we are told that his brilliant intellect is shattered and that he is sorely in need of money.”

Of course, Twain was alive and well. Upon hearing of his likely demise, Twain offered up the phrase “The report of my death was an exaggeration,” which has since been quoted and adapted countless times over the years to humorous effect.

Well, we can definitely say that, contrary to recent news article headlines in Christianity Today, The Huffington Post, and others, the reports of the death of C.S. Lewis College were greatly exaggerated. We can also say with a smile that we are “sorely in need of money” to launch the College.

So what does this all mean?

As we reported earlier, after missing a December 31, 2011 fundraising deadline, we have lost our “sole beneficiary” status in regards to receiving the gift of the Northfield Campus from Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. Hobby Lobby is now seeking other potential recipients, possibly to share the campus with us in some way.

We still have a window of opportunity to raise the $10-15 million needed to be the sole recipient of the Northfield Campus. Be assured, we are pressing on towards this goal.

More than 600 founding contributors have already joined us in support of the College. They join countless others who have shared excitement over our vision.

If Hobby Lobby does gift the campus to another organization, and if, for one reason or another, collaboration with that organization should not prove mutually advantageous, the Foundation will, consistent with its long standing objective, continue to seek to establish C.S. Lewis College at another appropriate location, preferably in the Five College area of Massachusetts.

We are specifically seeking lead donors with the ability to give gifts of $1 million or more to champion our cause – to establish a Mere Christian Great Books College which will produce great thinkers and our future leaders. As Abraham Lincoln wrote, “The philosophy of the classroom today will be the philosophy of the government tomorrow.”

Inspired by the life and legacy of C.S. Lewis, the C.S. Lewis Foundation is dedicated to advancing the renewal of Christian thought and creative expression throughout the world of learning and the culture at large.

With the help of hundreds of friends and by the grace of God, our programs have inspired visionaries and leaders and have changed the lives of countless others.

From the inception of the Foundation, C.S. Lewis College has always been part of our core vision.

Whether we are the single beneficiary of the Northfield campus, share space with a complementary organization who owns the campus, or launch the College elsewhere, we intend to move forward with our plans for C.S. Lewis College.

We sincerely hope you will be a part of these plans as you share in our vision for the future.

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The C.S. Lewis Foundation fosters and preserves C.S. Lewis' legacy by working to make Christian intellectual discourse a part of academic and cultural life.

By offering a variety of programs and resources for scholars, faculty, administrators as well as seekers and lay readers of all Christian traditions, the Foundation seeks to advance the renewal of Christian thought and creative expression throughout the world of learning.